Why lifting weights WON’T make you bulky

As a coach, the number 1 question I get on a daily basis is… “If I start lifting weights, will I start looking buff?” *eye roll*

Relax ladies, you won’t magically morph into a female Arnold Shwarzernegger overnight. Very often when we mention “weight lifting” or bodybuilding, a ripped overly tanned oily tree trunk of a woman in a bikini comes to mind.

Rest assured that these women represent a minority of the population that have gone to great lengths to achieve that ripped physique. What you see took years to build – their lives are centered on how much, what and when they eat, specific training programs and how often they train – its a science!

Here are some reasons why adding weight/resistance training to your routine will not turn you into the hulk:

First of all, testosterone is an important factor in muscle building and repair. Men and women possess both testosterone (widely known as the male hormone) and estrogen (widely known as the female hormone) in our bodies.

However, since a woman’s body has 10-20 times less testosterone than a man, muscle gain is NOT as easy as you might think.

Another point I’d like to make would be that you’re most likely not consuming enough protein macros or training hard enough to bulk up. Here’s the lowdown on how bodybuilders get stage-ready: they go through multiple bulking (increasing muscle mass) and cutting (fat loss) phases. To get those “big” and “bulky” muscles that you’re all so afraid of takes cycles (I’m talking years) of bulking up to increase muscle mass by intense strength training and a HUGE calorie surplus.

Fun fact:

A 55kg woman must consume AT LEAST 110grams of protein PER DAY to build muscle mass in conjunction with a strength training phase. This doesn’t mean a 135gram piece of steak. Here’s what 110grams protein actually looks like – 10 chicken thighs, ½ Kilo of steak, 1kg tub of greek yoghurt.. you get my drift.

Look in the mirror and you’ll see that our bodies vary greatly from men.Women naturally hold more body fat then our male counterparts, so despite gaining muscle we will still maintain our curves.

On average, women have 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men.

An average toned looking female athletic can have a body fat percentage between 21-28%. Those women you see on stage in bodybuilding competitions have intentionally lowered their fat percentage to almost 10% just to show off their muscle definition.

My point here being that us normal girls lifting normal weights and eating normal food portions will NOT make us look like the female version of hulk any time soon.

However, here’s what actually happens when you DO lift heavy:

Free facelift

I love incorporating weight training into training programs for my more mature ladies – with CONSISTENCY and TIME, they see their skin regain its elasticity and firmness. While the results won’t be as dramatic as a facelift or botox injections, they will be healthier for your face. Getting a procedure doesn’t improve the health of your skin like exercising can because it doesn’t boost collagen, improve blood flow, or stimulate growth hormone.

Human growth hormone (HGH) produced by our body is a vital part in the health and aging of our skin, but when we hit 30 years old our HGH levels begin to decrease.